The present invention relates exclusively to the field of the handling of mail and relates more particularly to an unjamming device for a postage metering machine or postage meter of the ink-jet type.
It is well known that, for various technical reasons, jamming phenomena may occur in postage meters. However, these problems are more critical or less critical depending on the architecture of the machine and especially on the possibility of gaining access to the path along which the mail items are transported.
In current machines, like those shown in the Applicant""s French Patent Applications No. 99 00492 and No. 99 00493, the design requirements, both technical requirements (need for a compact and safe machine) and economical requirements (the postal imprint is a monetary value and the cost of the machine must be reasonable), do not allow the complete opening of the machines to be and do not allow them to be hinged in two separate parts as was possible on certain machines of older design. In addition, since the operating rates of these machines are becoming higher and higher, it is essential that any jamming problem be solved very quickly, that is to say directly by the user without having any recourse to an engineer of the company or to the After Sales Service of the manufacturer or of the licensor of the postage meter.
The objective of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by providing an unjamming device which facilitates access to the jammed area in order to remove the item or items of mail which have piled up there. An objective of the invention is also to make this intervention particularly easy, both for an envelope which is stuck but remains visible in the transportation path and for a label wedged in the rollers of this path and invisible from outside the machine.
These objectives are achieved by a device for unjamming mail items retained in the transportation path of a mail handling machine, the mail items being transported by several series of drive rollers distributed all along this transportation path and at least two series of rollers of which are placed, with respect to the direction of advance of the mail items, respectively upstream and downstream of means for printing the postal imprint, which device comprises a manual control unit in order, in a first unjamming position, to partly clear the transportation path for the mail items by simultaneously lowering the upstream and downstream drive rollers and in order, in a second unjamming position, to completely clear the transportation path for the mail items by almost completely withdrawing all of the drive rollers.
Thus, depending on the nature of the jamming, the operator will almost completely or partly withdraw the device for transporting the mail items. This operation is particularly quick and requires no intervention by an expert.
The series of drive rollers are each mounted on a common spindle, the ends of which are fastened to two parallel walls forming side panels and are able to move translationally under the action of said manual control unit. These parallel walls each have, at one end, a guiding point intended to engage in a slot made in a body of the mail handling machine so as to fulfill a realignment function.
Preferably, the movement of the side panels is obtained by mean s of castors which can move along slideways in the body of the mail handling machine. This movement of the castors along the slideways is limited by end-of travel stops so as to prevent complete withdrawal of the drive rollers.
The manual control unit comprises two parallel beams, the first ends of which are joined together by a handle directly actuable by an operator, the free second ends of these two beams, held in place by a brace, each terminating in a stop-forming lug intended to engage in a fixed part fastened to said walls forming the side panels.
The longitudinal beams include a ramp intended to engage by sliding with a linkage shaft integral in its movement with the upstream and downstream drive rollers. Advantageously, this ramp comprises three cam portions with decreasing slopes.
The walls forming the side panels and supports for the drive rollers are held in an initial printing position by a disengagable locking mechanism. Preferably, this disengagable locking mechanism comprises a part forming a ledge in permanent contact with a flexible unlocking blade which forms an integral part of the handle. Said disengagable locking mechanism also includes an element in the form of a fork which is incorporated into said part forming a ledge and which can pivot against a spring means on a linkage shaft mounted between said walls forming the side panels and having two locking hooks intended to engage in alignment openings made in the body of the machine.